Diving in cold water - does your head freeze?

[Nwcid]

Unprotected face areas yes, kinda goes numb in the first min or so. Head never. Fingers usually get cold first on a long dive.

Here I am sitting in 34* water at rescue training a few weeks ago. While I was warm in my undergarments in the water it was quite warm to be out for too long. I spent about 2 hr total in the water with about 15 min of diving.

 

[divin'dog]

I dive with a hood that has skin-in around the face and the skin-in makes a difference. It's a 7mm and has a long bib. It stretches so it's tight but feels comfortable. I've been down to high 40's and my head was fine. It's toes and fingers that get cold. The hood will cover your forehead and the mask will cover the eyes and nose area. There really is not too much skin exposed after that and my hood wraps around most of my face and chin. Get used to pulling your hood over your mask with gloves on. Your face will be chilly but bearable. Kinda like being in a Nor'easter up here with the wind whippin' at your face! Don't like it but it's bearable.

 

[Crass3000]

In water thats that warm/cold just put a 7mm hood on and you'll be fine. when I first got certified I had a hood but dove in a lake deep but I didn't think I would need he hood. It's AMAZING how much a hood helps. If you have a hood you will be more worried about your fingers in really cold water in a wetsuit.

Edit: Drysuits might be nice but at this point I can't afford one and have never dove in any condition where I needed one. That's not to say they may not make your world nicer. I guess you don't miss what you don't have.

 

[rhwestfall]

Here in texas water temps probably go down to 50F or so.

At that water temp, I stilll might be diving wet..... As to afterwards, one word - toque (that one was for the Canucks!).

P.S. - you don't catch a cold from being cold/wet........

 

[Storker]

I'm a new diver, but my last couple of dives have been in 4C/40F water. I'm using a Scubapro Everdry4 neoprene dry suit, and the hood with that suit (6.5mm neoprene) has kept me nice and warm. It probably helps that it's almost semi-dry, and it covers my face well. The only exposed part of my face is from just above the chin to low on my forehead, in fact so low that my mask usually sits on top of the hood and I have to ease the edge of the mask skirt behind the hood. My hands are also nice and warm in a pair of Mares Trilastic 6.5mm three-finger wet gloves. My only problem is my feet, since the socks on that suit are quite small-ish and I can only fit one pair of thin wool socks inside. After half an hour underwater, my toes start getting cold.

The worst part for me is when I dip my face in the water before donning the mask. Except for the cold feet after a half hour, everything after that is quite comfortable.

 

[oldflounder]

Consider using a latex hood on the head first. Cut a small face hole so least amount of skin is exposed. Stick a cottonball over each ear to give a little air space under the latex in case of ear squeeze and to keep the water from being squeezed in. Over the latex hood use an oversize 3mm Seasoft drysuit hood with skin face seal. I use this setup diving with a drysuit but it would work as well with a wetsuit. I don't even feel the ice water except on the lips for a few seconds. Splash water on face first. Mask goes over hoods. Latex gives a good seal over the mask skirt. Hair comes out dry as a bone. Seems to help prevent leaking neck seal. I have mine cut loose because I don't like snug neck feel. I used to wear the attached latex hood on top but always feared tearing it. No problem now and can do 20-30 minutes easy. Hands get cold first.

If you really hate the cold face/ice cream headache and want to do a lot of cold water diving buy a full face mask.

 

[DaleC]

Yea toques!!

We don't wear them as fashion statements.

I can usually tell the water temp by how it bites at my cheeks. 50's are summer conditions and like a smooth carress, 40's are par for the course but a bit of a slap in the face, 30's are getting downright "nippy". 20's hurt like hell when you giant stride.

 

[caribean-ted]

I hate the cold, but Ive dove in water 48F and using a 7mm wet suit, gloves, boots and hood, it was pretty good, just the face got cold but your body stays pretty warm. Hard to beleive but its not bad. You get used to it pretty quick. Just dont look down, it sucks when the water trickles down the back of your neck LOL brrrrrr
Only for a second then the water in your suit warms up to body temps.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I dive water in the mid 50's in a 3 mil hooded vest under a 5 mil wet suit, 5 mil boots, and 3 mil gloves and stay very comfortable. The face hole in the hood is just big enough for my mask to seat, and with the hooded vest, I can put my mask on then pull the hood on from the back, and have a nice tight fit from mask to hood while the mask seats properly on skin. I know this is not an option with a dry suit. That is one reason I like the 3 +5 wet suit. Colder than 50F I definitely go dry. I've never had a face so cold it was painful like an "ice cream freeze" but 50 degree water on your face will certainly wake you up. When we have early season training, before the reservoir has warmed up to its usually upper 60's, we refer to temperatures in the 50's as "refreshing." Think of the water that way. While there is substantial individual variation in tolerance of cold water ( my wife does not "do" water colder than 72 degrees) I think you will be pleasantly surprised how comfortable your can be in proper exposure gear.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Imla]

During the winter i regularly dive water in the mid to high twenties. With a decent trilam drysuit. 5mm Neoprene fold-in neck seal, and a 10mm slightly tight, but not chokingly so hood, and 5mm wet gloves.. I can to about 50 minutes to an hour.
I rarely notice my head getting cold, but I feel my coretemp lowered. I tend to blow a little bit of air from my mask into my hood. Gives instant warmth.